A captivating story filled with suspense and magic.
Three sisters face hardships amid frequent dust storms in 1934 Kansas.
The Fischer girls’ mother died, their father left for Wichita in search of work, and their aunt has turned their home into a boarding house. Middle sister Stella dreams of Hollywood and tries to make that dream a reality by delivering moonshine. That side hustle introduces her to Lloyd McCormick, a handsome vagabond who begins doing odd jobs around the house. While the sisters and Lloyd are scavenging lumber from a dilapidated cider mill, a ghost appears, guiding them to a portal. On the other side, they find mill owner Archie Bright trapped in an alternate world where the air is clear and everything broken is healed. Archie conjures up lavish parties from his memories, and they dance the night away. The others are able to leave, and they promise Archie they’ll try to set him free. But despite experiencing the glamour Stella has craved, the sisters feel the toll of their regular visits to this newfound paradise, leaving them depleted in the mornings and fracturing their relationships. And it soon becomes clear that there’s more to Archie’s story than he’s told them. The author makes the most of every page in this short novel, bringing to life characters who are worth supporting. The compelling narrative seamlessly blends genres as it unfolds against the harsh, dusty backdrop. The characters are cued white; the Fischer sisters had a Romani grandmother.
A captivating story filled with suspense and magic. (Paranormal historical fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9780744308464
Page Count: 272
Publisher: CamCat Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
An irresistible story of family connection, resilience, and loyalty.
In award winner Acevedo’s latest, a high schooler faces another interaction with the juvenile justice system, but a family crisis is foremost on her mind.
Impulsive 17-year-old Liliana Pantaleon-Ortiz has repeatedly gotten into trouble. Now, despite her lawyer’s best efforts, Lil is released to her parents with an ankle monitor. She has a loving, supportive family that’s “Indigenous-Salvadoran and Afro-Dominican,” and she’s especially close to her older brother, Aldwin, who attends Virginia Commonwealth University, a few hours away from their Washington, D.C., home. Lately Aldwin has been acting strangely—he’s there for her court appearance, but it’s clear there’s something wrong. Lil must also navigate school without her two best friends, who were involved in the latest incident: Britney is still being detained, and Yaris’ family immediately sent her away to the Dominican Republic. One bright spot is the attention of Yonas Kassa, a boy she’s liked since middle school who looks like Biggie Smalls. As she tries to figure out how much to share with Yonas, Lil’s concerns about Aldwin escalate. She’s convinced she must go to him—even if traveling to Richmond, Virginia, violates the terms of her pretrial release. Acevedo’s masterful narrative handles the issues Lil faces with believable sensitivity and insight. The culturally rich language and authentically portrayed characters who are full of complexity make this work shine, and the blend of prose and poetry enhances the compelling storytelling.
An irresistible story of family connection, resilience, and loyalty. (author’s note, resources) (Verse fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
ISBN: 9780062882790
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
An enticing, turbulent, and satisfying final voyage.
Adrian, the youngest of the Montague siblings, sails into tumultuous waters in search of answers about himself, the sudden death of his mother, and her mysterious, cracked spyglass.
On the summer solstice less than a year ago, Caroline Montague fell off a cliff in Aberdeen into the sea. When the Scottish hostel where she was staying sends a box of her left-behind belongings to London, Adrian—an anxious, White nobleman on the cusp of joining Parliament—discovers one of his mother’s most treasured possessions, an antique spyglass. She acquired it when she was the sole survivor of a shipwreck many years earlier. His mother always carried that spyglass with her, but on the day of her death, she had left it behind in her room. Although he never knew its full significance, Adrian is haunted by new questions and is certain the spyglass will lead him to the truth. Once again, Lee crafts an absorbing adventure with dangerous stakes, dynamic character growth, sharp social and political commentary, and a storm of emotion. Inseparable from his external search for answers about his mother, Adrian seeks a solution for himself, an end to his struggle with mental illness—a journey handled with hopeful, gentle honesty that validates the experiences of both good and bad days. Characters from the first two books play significant secondary roles, and the resolution ties up their loose ends. Humorous antics provide a well-measured balance with the heavier themes.
An enticing, turbulent, and satisfying final voyage. (Historical fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-291601-3
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
